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The Beggars Covenant
The Ascension of Morheka, also known as The Morhekan Ascension, or Morheka's Legacy, is a small part of The Morhekan Codex, a remnant from the early days of the Sangheili Sovereign-States of Morheka. It is presumably a highly stylised account of the actual events of the rise in importance of its most famous figure, Morheka The Kind. Morhekan Codex Version Characters Usurper Rarely seen in the tale, The usurper is the then-current Kaidon of what will become Morheka. In the tale, he is mentioned as being kindly, especially to those who serve him faithfully or to those who he relies upon for guidance or council. But in the past, the elderly Kaidon took his place by shedding the blood of its predecessor and making his family outcasts. In some tales, the Kaidon was never a usurper, and Morheka himself kills the Kaidon and takes his Kaidonship. These are likely due to condensation and retelling of the original tale. Recent archaeological evidence, especially from The Morhekan Codex, indicates that the Usurper is based on a real-life character, Thanos 'Mopad, who invaded and ruled the state as a satrapy of the greater 'Mopad Empire until deposed by The Beggar. The Great Purge by the Mopad nation, destroying much historical and cultural knowledge, may have been intended to stop Morhekans from using his name to slander their reputation among the other states - an act which itself sealed the fate of Mopad, as the Vadam and Davum nations rose against it in aid of their ally, splitting its land between the three nations. The Warrior Interpreted as a real-life character, Elma 'Mopadee, The Warrior is almost always regarded as a cruel, uncaring figure intent only in determining The Beggar's presence. Sangheili scholars have historically regarded 'Mopadee's depiction as being a subtle rebuke of the traditional purists, who advocated that we surrender the Sangheili's scientific expertise in exchange for dedicating ourselves to purely martial exploits, and opening ourselves up to exploitation by the Prophets. The Priest While originally intended as a parody of the by-then corrupt and crumbling Sanghelian Native Faith, future versions would include opinions that are quite obviously intended to conjur to mind the Prophets, and The Priest would serve as an outlet against which playwrights and scholars could vent frustration of Prophet policies. Others see him as a condemnation of the religious class, who adhere rigidly to the ways of the past without accepting new ways, and that it depicts the inevitable results of such unchanging ways. The Guard While the exact origins of Morheka are a point of fierce debate, all tales include at least some variation of The Guard. In some, he is Morheka. In others, he is merely rewarded by Morheka for his kindness. All agree that Morheka's ascension hinges on The Guard's treatment of The Beggar. In the Morhekan Codex's version, The Guard is the exception to the rule established by The Warrior and The Priest, and shows The Beggar kindness by taking him with him into the Keep. As his kindness is repaid with blood and revolution, he is outrages, representing a pure form of trusting innocence - a state which the tale holds is the noblest of all. The Beggar In most versions, The Beggar is the son of the rightful Kaidon of the Sovereign-State that preceded Morheka, returning to claim his rightful throne. In some, he leads an entire army of legions to reclaim his birthright. In others, he assassinates the usurping Kaidon. The identity of The Beggar is debated - some claim that he is at least partially based on a historical figure, Pipit 'Vadamee, from the Sovereign-State of Vadam, while others argue that h is a metaphor for justice, and that kindness (embodied in The Guard) inevitably leads to righteousness. Other scholars claim that The Beggar is actually Morheka, and that his humble origins are a convolution of other bandit-hero tales. The recently discovered Morhekan Codex, however, is the earliest recording of the tale, and features the Guard-origin, though it neverr names The Beggar. Origins The tale dates back over 1000 years, before Morheka itself existed in its present form. Geographical barriers have since shifted, with territory gained and lost to neighboring Sovereign-States. Historically, it has been claimed that the events took place in the current capital city, Qur'anas, but archaeological and historical studies indicate that the buried city of Morhekamandra is the actual location of the Beggars Keep. Long since buried under an avalanche of mud from coastal erosion, the present-day harbour is now little more than a small, almost natural-looking cove used for fishing villagers. The sacred ground described has been identified as the Caretaker Ruins, the most complete Forerunner temple structure known besides the Halo rings. Sangheili archaeologists continue to petition the High Council, as well as High Kaidon 'Vadamee, for permission to excavate the site of the ancient city, and work may begun with the new year. The tale itself has gone through many different iterations and versions. In some, Morheka himself is the Beggar, and has the guard executed for incompetence. In others, there is no mention of the Beggar at all, and that he himself kills the Kaidon. Some add other memorable characters, such as the Ambassador, the Jester, and the Chef, while other versions serve as morality tales, or are updated for modern audiences, especially as a veiled condemnation of those who supported Prophet-sponsored efforts to reduce Sangheili influence within the former Covenant. The only fact that is agreed upon is that Morheka eventually ends up as the new Kaidon, and that the Sovereign-State is renamed after him. While common versions are often longer and more elegant, often adding supernatural or spiritual elements, or adding unexplained backstory, the oldest known account comes from the Morhekan Codex, a work compiled by Morheka's own personal historian. While some bias may be present, many of his other works show no sign of any prejudice, and he was widely renown for his willingness (and, indeed, often eagerness) to condemn Morheka's policies as either too lenient or not in keeping with tradition, further adding credence to the Guard-origin theory. Controversy The biggest historical debate that surrounds The Ascension of Morheka is over the true identity of Morheka. This is largely divided into two camps, who disagree on a variety of historical and theological grounds; the Guards, and the Beggars. The Beggars The "Beggar-Origin Hypothesis" holds that while The Guard is a fictional character, intended to help The Beggar gain the Kaidonship, the true Morheka is actually The Beggar. The Beggars point out that there are no existing records of a state existing before Morheka, and that The Guard is often completely absent from modern retellings of the tale. At the same time, many find the possibility that the Great Morheka, the Scourge of a Thousand Enemies, who slew the Jabberwock and liberated Morheka from the "cruel" reign of The Usurper, came from a lowly and humble City Guard extremely offensive to the reputation of the Sovereign-State of Morheka and its inhabitants. The Guards The Guards, meanwhile, have their own case to make. They claim that a purge of the Morhekan libraries by invading armies from the Mopad Sovereign-State burned a significant amount of the states history, priceless documents that cannot be replaced, and that it is not conceivable that the pre-Morheka history was wiped out. Some maintain that this was the entire point of the 'Mopad campaign, to remove any mention of their kin mentioned in the tale. They also point out that while a City Guard may be a lowly title, that Morheka was a common bandit may be even more insulting to the name of Morheka.